New Challenge Awaits Rangers in Water Polo

Jesuit hopes more experienced roster will make a splash in first UIL campaign

Unlike many schools in Texas this year, Jesuit Dallas isn’t starting its water polo program from scratch. But for players and coaches, it almost feels that way.

The Rangers have been a mainstay in the sport for the past several seasons. Still, as the University Interscholastic League begins sanctioning water polo this fall, Jesuit will have a chance to grow its program further.

“I have seen the excitement build over the past year,” said Jesuit head coach Jason Gall. “There’s definitely more interest on campus.”

The Rangers finished with a 9-14 record during the 2022 spring season, which was the last sponsored by the Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association. The two years before that were cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gall, who came to Jesuit from California a year ago, sees the transition from TISCA to UIL and spring to fall as a great opportunity to reset.

That’s already been in the works. Jesuit had six freshmen on the roster last season, trying to build momentum and continuity in anticipation of the short turnaround between campaigns.

Gall estimates the program is already up to 25 participants — a mix of experienced club players and newcomers — compared to 21 in the spring.

“We created the buy-in last year,” he said. “The goal was to make them want to come to practice the next day and see improvement. Going into this season, we’ve kind of kicked it up a notch.”

Where the spring was about building the foundation for a young roster, the offseason has featured more advanced workouts to suggest steps forward.

“We got to see what the best looks like, and even though we didn’t really have a chance to beat them, we saw that we could compete,” Gall said.

Now the Rangers hope their progress will include a playoff appearance in their first UIL season. However, that won’t be easy in a district that includes traditional powerhouses like Southlake Carroll, Flower Mound Marcus, and Keller.

“As long as you keep the guys motivated and not discouraged, let’s see how we can play with the top teams in the state,” Gall said. “If we’re going to qualify for postseason, we will have to beat teams who finished ahead of us last year.”